Monday, May 4, 2015

There is a “Grand Slam” in
nearly every sport imaginable and in Great Lakes fishing, anglers
rarely score one. A Coho salmon, a King, Brown Trout, Steelhead and
a Lake Trout. Five species- a tough spread of fish to put in the box
on one outing considering their varied lake habitat. Most of the
year, it would be nearly impossible. Spring does offer a limited
window of opportunity-cold waters warm and many great lakes fish move
nearer to shore than where they normally haunt. If a big water
fisherman wets lines on just the right day, it could happen. For my
fishing partners and captain, we almost did. Almost.

Good friend and charter captain Kris
Davis of Northfork Sportfishing knows how elusive the grand slam can
be. I try to make a couple trips down to the Kenosha marina, where
Northfork is based. He's hunted down great lakes fish everywhere
from Ashland to Keewaunee to southern Lake Michigan. His crew
consists of Uncle Dan Davis and kids Megan and Blake-they're
fisher-kids, born into the sport. I'm lucky enough to be invited to
join them and I mark early May on my calendar for the coho run.
We've had exceedingly good luck over the years out of the Kenosha
port and the waters north and south of there.

Arriving early in the morning, Kris had
the boat ready and Uncle Dan started in with jokes that had the kids
eyes rolling. A prettier sunrise you won't find and glass flat water
greeted us as we slipped the bounds of the break wall. My friend
John Merreck joined us-a consulate inland fisherman, who loves to
dabble in this big lake thing from time to time.

The report from Kris centered around
slow action so far this season. He traded a first-ice-out
smaller boat for the “Corkscrew,” a Luhrs 290, Northfork's
usual fishing rig and one I can attest to being a perfect boat for
the job. Most of the charter captain's chatter indicated the big
coho run hadn't started-inconsistent weather perhaps was the culprit.
Kris was confident we'd get something and predicted (as it turned
out, rightly) that we'd have a mixed bag. Boats had been bringing in
a few of the small salmon, a brown here and there and even a laker,
which is unusual at this time of year in near shore angling.

Spring fishing usually means shallower
depths and we motored out less than a mile off shore. Other fishermen
had the same plan and near “the bubbler” ( Kenosha's warm
water discharge) it looked like a parking lot. The water here ran
25-40 feet and had temps of 46-49 degrees. Finding exactly what
depth and temps the fish liked was Kris' challenge and one he's
exceedingly good at.

Kenosha Harbor

“BING” “Fish on!” Even before
we had a third of the gear down, John was on a pole cranking in a
nice fish. A big 8 pound brown-perfect start to the day. When a
fish is on, it's a team effort-a net is grabbed, planer board removed
and who ever is battling the fish given room while the captain keeps
the boat on course. Having the first fish “in the box”
so early made us all pretty optimistic.

Hours passed by and the number of boats
staying on the water dwindled. Kris kept the boat further out
hunting for that subtle difference in water temperature where we
seemed to pick up a fish once and a while. The radio talk was
lamenting a lack of action by the other captains- “crickets”
as they say. We kept at it and were rewarded with a nice 14# king,
which fired up the boat and crew. A few more average sized cohos
were boated and a real nice one....turned out to be a steelhead.
Hmmmm, that's four species onboard, and thoughts of the grand slam
surfaced-we'd just need that “pretty one” (A laker as the
fleet calls 'em).

It was not to be-we'd miss that fifth
species but not for lack of effort. For much of the day Kris had a
full pull going-15 lines in the water, from 35' down to just
below the surface. Downriggers, dipsy divers and the 8 little
soldiers (planer boards) all trying to coax a bite. By afternoon,
the Corkscrew was about the last boat on the water and we kept a few
lines in all the way through the harbor entrance, just in case.

That elusive last ditch fish never took
the bait so to speak, and the grand slam would be safe for another
day. No matter-we felt pretty good about the excursion compared to
most of the other fishermen. It was slow, but we'd put 8 in the
cooler and would have great meals ahead. For John and I, who don't
get on big water very often, just being out there was reward
enough-as I commented when we slid through the morning water, “This
pretty much doesn't suck.” I know, not very eloquent, but in the
warming colors of the sunrise and cool air coming from the cold water
the Corkscrew slipped through, everyone nodded in agreement.